Asexually reproducing fungi play a significant role in essential processes in managed and wild ecosystems such as nutrients cycling and multitrophic interactions. A large number of such taxa are among the most notorious plant and animal pathogens. In addition, they have a key role in food production, biotechnology and medicine. Taxa without or rare sexual reproduction are distinguished based on their sporulating structures and conidiomata in traditional morphology-based taxonomy. The number, variation and diversity of asexually reproducing taxa are insufficiently known, even though fungi capable of asexual reproduction may provide an untapped, rich biological resource for future exploitation. Currently, ca. 30,000 asexual species belonging to ca. 3800 genera have been reported (including 1388 coelomycetous and 2265 hyphomycetous genera). Recent reports (2017–2020) reiterate that the number of asexually producing fungi is higher than the number of frequently sexually-reproducing fungi. With the advent of molecular tools and the abandonment of the dual nomenclature system for pleomorphic fungi, priority criteria were established and revisited in the latest outline of fungi and fungus-like taxa. However, species numbers and taxonomic boundaries of pleomorphic taxa and their synanamorphs or synasexual morphs have yet to be addressed. The number of species of speciose genera (e.g. Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cercospora, Fusarium, Phoma and Pseudocercospora), cryptic species, species of pleomorphic genera, less studied life modes (such as lichenicolous taxa, taxa from extreme environments) and species from biodiversity-rich areas still need evaluation to achieve more reliable estimates of their diversity. This paper discusses the current knowledge on the matter, with diversity estimates, and potential obstacles in several chapters on (1) speciose genera; (2) pleomorphic genera; (3) cryptic species; (4) well-studied but insufficiently resolved taxa, e.g. leaf inhabiting species, marine fungi, (5) less studied life modes, e.g. lichenicolous, rock-inhabiting fungi, insect-associated and yeast-forming taxa and (6) species from biodiversity-rich areas.

Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces (Yungui Plateau) in Southwestern China are well known as biodiversity hotspots. We introduce two new species in this study viz., Mucispora hydei (in Fuscosporellaceae, Fuscosporellales, Sordariomycetes) and Tolypocladium cucullae (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales, Sordariomycetes) and six new records based on morpho-molecular analyses. Full descriptions, color photographs and phylogenetic trees to indicate the placements of new species are provided.

Background: Bombax ceiba L. (the red silk cotton tree) is a large deciduous tree that is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical Asia as well as northern Australia. It has great economic and ecological importance, with several applications in industry and traditional medicine in many Asian countries. To facilitate further utilization of this plant resource, we present here the draft genome sequence for B. ceiba. Findings: We assembled a relatively intact genome of B. ceiba by using PacBio single-molecule sequencing and BioNano optical mapping technologies. The final draft genome is approximately 895 Mb long, with contig and scaffold N50 sizes of 1.0 Mb and 2.06 Mb, respectively. Conclusions: The high-quality draft genome assembly of B. ceiba will be a valuable resource enabling further genetic improvement and more effective use of this tree species.

Biochars were produced from long-root Eichhornia crassipes at four temperatures: 200, 300, 400 and 500°C, referred to as LEC200, LEC300, LEC400 and LEC500, respectively. The sorption ability of lead, zinc, copper and cadmium from aqueous solutions by four kinds of biochars was investigated. All the biochars had lower values of CEC and higher values of pH. LEC500 was the best one to bind toxic metals which can be reflected in the results of SEM, BET and elemental analyser. It was also found that alkyl, carboxyl, phosphate and cyano groups in the biochars can play a role in binding metals. In addition, the sorption processes of four metals by the biochars in different metal concentration were all excellently represented by the pseudo-second-order model with all correlation coefficients R ² > 0.95. And the sorption processes of four metals in different temperatures could be described satisfactorily by the Langmuir isotherms. According to calculated results by the Langmuir equation, the maximum removal capacities of Pb(II), Zn(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) at 298 K were 39.09 mg g ⁻¹ , 45.40 mg g ⁻¹ , 48.20 mg g ⁻¹ and 44.04 mg g ⁻¹ , respectively. The positive value of the Δ H ⁰ confirmed the adsorption process was endothermic and the negative value of Δ G ⁰ confirmed the adsorption process was spontaneous. The sorption capacities were compared with several other lignocellulosic materials which implied the potential of long-root Eichhornia crassipes waste as an economic and excellent biosorbent for eliminating metal ions from contaminated waters.

All extant species in the rodent family Spalacidae are subterranean and have evolved various traits for underground life. However, the phylogenomic relationships among its three subfamilies (Myospalacinae, Spalacinae, and Rhizomyinae) and the molecular basis underlying their adaptations to underground life remain poorly understood. Here, we inferred the phylogenomic relationships among these subfamilies based on de novo sequencing the genome of the hoary bamboo rat (Rhizomys pruinosus). Analyses showed that ~50% of the identified 11 028 one-to-one orthologous protein-coding genes and the concatenated sequences of these orthologous genes strongly supported a sister relationship between Myospalacinae and Rhizomyinae. The three subfamilies diversified from each other within ~2 million years. Compared with the non-subterranean controls with similar divergence dates, the spalacids shared more convergent genes with the African subterranean mole-rats at the genomic scale due to more rapid protein sequence evolution. Furthermore, these convergent genes were enriched in the functional categories of carboxylic acid transport, vascular morphogenesis, and response to oxidative stress, which are closely associated with adaptations to the hypoxic-hypercapnic underground environment. Our study presents a well-supported phylogenomic relationship among the three subfamilies of Spalacidae and offers new insights into the molecular adaptations of spalacids living underground.